Photo by Zachary Keimig on Unsplash

You may have heard the old adage, “there’s no place like home,” and found it rings true. But what about the often-repeated claim that 90% of accidents happen within 10 miles of home? Is there any truth to it?

While the statistic itself doesn’t have a reliable source, the idea behind it may actually hold up. Researchers have identified what’s known as the ‘close to home effect;’ the tendency for people to get into more road collisions on the roads closest to their homes.

“Injury crashes are over-represented on roads close to home, even when controlling for exposure.”

Skeptics often dismiss this idea by pointing out that people do most of their driving close to home, so naturally more collisions would occur there. However, research has found that injury crashes are statistically more common on roads close to home, even after accounting for the fact that drivers spend more time on those roads. In other words, the increased crash risk cannot be explained by exposure alone.

“Analysis showed that on average, drivers were indeed more likely to crash close to home. Roads within 11 km (6.8 miles) of home accounted for half of all travel and 62% of all crashes.”

So why are we more likely to get injured in a car crash when we are so close to home? Let's take a closer look.

Blasé is Passé

One of the biggest factors behind the close-to-home effect appears to be experience. The more often we perform the same task, the easier it becomes to rely on habit rather than active attention. Over time, that familiarity can lead to indifference.

Researchers found evidence of this when comparing new and experienced drivers. The study showed that the ‘close to home effect’ was most pronounced among experienced drivers, with this demographic having the greatest risk of being involved in a collision when close to home.

“The ‘close to home’ effect held for male and female drivers. Novice (learner) drivers were the only demographic subgroup to not exhibit the close to home effect.”

Experienced drivers have spent more time driving, which can lead to greater complacency in the environments they frequent. Imagine making the same left turn every day on your way home from work and never encountering a pedestrian. Gradually, you may stop looking for one. Then, on the day a pedestrian is actually there, you are caught off guard because you did not expect them. Your experience and familiarity have led to a lapse in attention, and you are more likely to cause a collision.

It is important to remember that just because something hasn’t happened before doesn’t mean it won’t happen. Safe driving depends on consistently applying good driving habits, such as scanning and signaling properly every single time, even when nobody is around. When these behaviors become routine, they help protect us from the mistakes that can occur when familiarity turns into complacency.

Set Up Before You Set Out

Driving while distracted is a reckless behavior that contributes to thousands of collisions every year. It is also a common factor in many collisions that occur just minutes from home, where drivers may be more likely to let their attention wander.

“Compared with crashes further away, crashes close to home were more likely to involve alcohol and diverted attention, and less likely to involve driver fatigue.”

One reason distracted driving collisions are common close to home is drivers failing to prepare before setting off. Instead of taking a few moments to get ready, some drivers begin driving immediately and then try to finish getting organized while the vehicle is already in motion, for example adjusting their navigation or putting on their seatbelt.

That’s why it’s important to take a few moments to get comfortable and set everything up before you begin driving. Set your music, GPS, temperature, and other settings before you start off. Fasten your seatbelt, adjust your seat and clothing for comfort, put on your glasses or sunglasses if necessary, and stow away any possible distractions such as your cell phone. Preparing before you set off reduces the need to make adjustments on the move and helps you remain attentive behind the wheel. If you do need to adjust something or use your phone while driving, pull over somewhere safe like a parking lot first.

It can be easy to feel safe and comfortable on familiar roads. The effect can apply anywhere you frequently drive such as around your home, on your commute, around your office, or, for fleet drivers, to and around a depot. However, don’t let that sense of familiarity cause you to let your guard down. Doing so can endanger both you and others, and creates deadly situations in the areas you and those who know you most frequently drive.

Sources:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S092575351730783X